Tankless water heater installation in Aurora, CO

Tankless units are rated by how many gallons per minute they can heat by a given temperature rise. In winter, water entering a Front Range home is much colder than in summer, so the heater has to work harder to deliver the same shower. We size for the coldest months of the year, not the brochure's best case in July.

Next we add up the fixtures likely to run at once. Two showers and a kitchen faucet need far more flow than one shower and a bathroom sink. A unit that is too small delivers lukewarm water at full demand, and one that is far too large costs more without any real benefit. We show you the numbers behind our recommendation.

A whole-house gas tankless heater can draw several times the gas of a standard tank heater. The half inch line that fed your old tank is often too small, especially on a long run from the meter. Undersized gas piping starves the burner and causes error codes, temperature swings and early wear on the unit.

We measure the run and calculate the total load with your furnace, range and dryer included, then upsize the line where needed. In some homes Xcel Energy needs to confirm the meter can handle the added load, and we tell you up front if that step applies, so the schedule accounts for it.

Condensing tankless units squeeze extra heat from the exhaust, so they run more efficiently and vent through PVC. They also produce acidic condensate that needs a neutralizer and a drain. Non-condensing units send hotter exhaust through stainless steel vent pipe, which costs more per foot but skips the condensate line altogether.

Your home's layout often makes the choice for you. A basement mechanical room near a floor drain suits a condensing unit well. A garage location with no drain nearby may favor a different setup or a small condensate pump. We walk through both options before you decide, so the install fits the house you actually have.